Get the Recipe: Blackberry Cupcakes with Rose Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Blackberry Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pint fresh, ripe blackberries
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
For the Blackberry Sauce
(makes enough to drizzle 18 cupcakes)
- 2/3 cups fresh, ripe blackberries
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
For the Rose Cream Cheese Frosting
(makes enough to generously frost 18 cupcakes)
- 4 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon rosewater
- 8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, cold
Equipment
- a potato masher
- a food mill or a fine-mesh sieve
Instructions
For the Blackberry Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 (F) and prepare your muffin tin by lining with cupcake papers.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 pint fresh blackberries, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Use a potato masher (or a fork) to mash the blackberries into the milk and vanilla. Continue mashing until all the blackberries are squished and the bowl is filled with blackberry juice. Place the mixture through a food mill (or strain through a fine-mesh sieve). The smoother your puree, the less-seedy your blackberries! If you're patient, feel free to strain the puree through the fine-mesh sieve repeatedly. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter. Cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, only adding the next egg until the first egg is fully incorporated.
- Once the eggs have been fully incorporated into the sugar-butter mixture, turn your mixer to its lowest speed. Add the flour mixture (from the second step) in three parts, alternating with the blackberry mixture in two parts, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Continue mixing the batter until the last of the flour mixture is just combined — at this point, your batter should be a deep, dark purple (or black, depending on your berries).
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly into your muffin tin (I used 2 tablespoons per cupcake case — if you don't have a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, fill your muffin cases up to 2/3rds of the way with batter). Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean and the tops of the cupcakes bounce back when gently poked. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, before turning out to cool completely.
For the Blackberry Sauce
- As the cupcakes are cooling, make the blackberry sauce. In a small saucepan, combine 2/3 cups fresh blackberries and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Use a potato masher to mash the berries into the sugar; place on your stovetop and let come to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, remove from heat immediately and let cool on a wire rack. For a clean look, strain to get rid of blackberry seeds, but this is entirely optional (see baker's note).
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar and 6 tablespoons unsalted butter. Beat on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add 1 teaspoon rosewater and 8 ounces cream cheese in one go and continue beating on medium-slow speed until it is completely incorporated.
- Once the cream cheese is completely incorporated, turn your mixer to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, until 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.
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